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Plan Indonesia Carries Out COVID-19 Emergency Response to Ensure Children’s Safety and Well-Being in Greater Jakarta Area

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Jakarta, 23 July 2021 – Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) carries out its second phase of COVID-19 emergency response in the Greater Jakarta area (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok,
Tangerang, Bekasi). The emergency response aims to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of the children, especially girls, who are greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including those who currently undergo home isolation with their families due to COVID-19. Children are currently required to stay at home, while ironically, the numbers of violence against children have been increasing in these two years of pandemic (Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, 2020).

“Not many people are aware of how pandemic has greatly affected the lives of millions of children.
Economic burden that pressures their parents, added by restriction of outdoor activities is a potential risk to the violence against children. These could occur in many forms, including insufficient care that leads to abandonment and neglect, as well as physical, verbal violence that directly harms the children.
Not only that, the girls and their mothers may also be forced to take on more household chores, which resulted in double burdened and deduction of the girls’ studying time,” explained Dini Widiastuti, Executive Director of Plan Indonesia.

Further concerns may arise when the family or the children have tested positive for COVID-19. Often they are labelled, stereotyped, discriminated against, treated separately, and/or experience loss of status because of a perceived link with the disease. Such treatment can negatively affect those with the disease, as well as their caregivers, family, friends and communities.

The second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia has shown an even worse toll on the children. According to the COVID-19 National Task Force, there was about 12.6 per cent or approximately 250 thousand children tested positive for COVID-19 as of 24 June 2021. Among the children, those aged 7-12 years old are the most infected by 28,02 per cent, followed by aged 16-18 years old (25,23 per cent) and 13-15 years old (19,92 per cent).
However, the death rate recorded by COVID-19 National Task Force shows that infants aged 0-2 years old are shown as the highest among the children group by 0.81 per cent), followed by those aged 16-18 years old (0,22 per cent) and 3-6 years old (0,19 per cent). Before this, the Indonesian Paediatrics Society mentioned that the children mortality rate caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia has reached 3-5 per cent, which was claimed to be the highest in the world according to WHO.

In parallel, the National Commission on Violence Against Women recorded that in 2020, gender-based violence against girls has reached up to 2341 cases or a 65 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

Plan Indonesia kicked off the COVID-19 emergency response targeted at children

To this effect, Plan Indonesia thus kicked off the COVID-19 emergency response in Greater Jakarta Area on Wednesday (22/7) with a particular focus on the needs of the children especially girls and young women. As of 20 June 2021, the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta recorded that at least 879 children are infected with COVID-19.
The focus of this humanitarian assistance is to help 1,000 children aged 0-18 years old (500 girls, 500 boys), as well as 500 families in the Greater Jakarta Area. The emergency response further aims to protect children from the COVID-19 infection, as well as to ensure the fulfilment of rights for girls, children with disabilities, and children from low-income families. In the initial phase from 23 July to 26 July 2021, Plan Indonesia will be distributing 316 hygiene kits as a prompt response to prevent COVID19 through healthy and clean living.

“Aside from providing the hygiene kits and Cash Voucher Assistance (CVA), we will provide parenting sessions to protect children in times of the pandemic, and psychosocial support for children, parents, caregivers and families who are affected by COVID-19. These sessions aim to promote clean and healthy living, the importance of nutrition for the children, and help to ensure the implementation of safe distance learning and equal access to education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dini concluded.

Since April 2020, Plan Indonesia has been carrying out the COVID-19 emergency response in its working areas, including in the East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, DKI Jakarta, Central Java, and Central Sulawesi. Since then, 12.9 litres of clean water, 253 clean water installations, 120,000 masks, 18,366 menstrual hygiene management kits, as well as 45,000 educational kits have been distributed to the areas. To this date, Plan Indonesia has reached out to more than 550,000 individuals through the response and more than 3,13 million public responses gained from the digital campaign.

Editor Notes:

About Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia)

Plan International has been working in Indonesia since 1969 and officially transformed into a national foundation in 2017, namely Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia). We aim to strive for children’s rights and equality for girls. Together with youth groups and activists, we attempt to ensure youth meaningful participation in decision making that will impact the fulfilment of the children’s rights and equality for girls. We also mobilize resources with partners from the private sector, donors, philanthropic foundations as well as individual donors to have a wider impact on Indonesian children.
Plan Indonesia implements its activities through four programs, namely Child Development Program,
Adolescent and Health Agency, Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship and Humanitarian Resilience Program. We work in 7 provinces which includes East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi, North Sulawesi DKI Jakarta, Central Java, and West Java targeted to benefit 1 million girls. Plan Indonesia also has 36,000 sponsored children in East Nusa Tenggara. For more information: https://plan-international.or.id

About Plan International

Plan International is an international development and humanitarian organization focused on the fulfilment of children's rights and the equality of girls. We fight for a fair world for the fulfilment of children's rights and equality for girls, working with children, young people, communities and partners. Plan International works with children, young people and the community to address the root causes of discrimination against women, exclusion and vulnerability. With achievements, experience and knowledge, Plan International is driving change in local, national and global practice and policy.
Plan International is not affiliated with a particular religion, political organization or government. Over 80 years, Plan International has built strong partnerships for children's rights. We currently work in more than 70 countries. For further information: https://plan-international.org

For More Information:

Intan Cinditiara, Media & Communications Manager Ph. 0818928764 | E: Intan.Cinditiara@plan-international.org